


i hear someone else (now you're making me nervous)

by indigoshuoyues



Series: Love and Fall [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Angst, CT-7567 | Rex Needs a Hug, Canon Compliant, Episode: s07e11 Shattered (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Episode: s07e12 Victory and Death, Kinda, Order 66, Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7 Spoilers, Stream of Consciousness, The Author Regrets Nothing, an excess of run-on sentences, mostly - Freeform, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24208462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indigoshuoyues/pseuds/indigoshuoyues
Summary: That absolutelastthing he was planning on for the trip to Coruscant was that damn chip in his brain forcing him to shoot at hiscyar'ikajust because she knew how to swing a lightsaber.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano
Series: Love and Fall [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755295
Comments: 16
Kudos: 112





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i came up with the idea when i was ~~getting rained on~~ walking my dog woot
> 
> title is from you're somebody else by flora cash
> 
> hope y'all enjoy :))

It was peaceful, _too_ peaceful, as they strolled onto the viewing platform on the bridge. 

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen, and from the look of things, Ahsoka felt the same, brows furrowing with an inscrutable expression on her face, and she sighs softly, “As a Jedi, we were trained to be keepers of the peace, not soldiers… but all I’ve been, since I was a padawan is a soldier.”  
  
He understands this all too well, because sometimes he just feels like a scared little boy in the overgrown body of a man of war, a cog in the machine that is the Grand Army, “Well, I’ve known no other way. Gives us clones all a... mixed feeling about the war. Many people wish it hadn’t happened, but without it… we wouldn’t exist.”  
  
Ahsoka’s expression softens, “Well, maybe some good has come from all of it— the Republic couldn’t have asked for better soldiers, nor I, a better _friend._ ”

He doesn’t miss the lighter tone she cast on the last word, nor the knowing smile on her face, but they have to keep up the appearance of professionalism— still, it warms his heart and he feels a little flutter in his chest, a reassurance that everything might turn out okay. He returns her smile, barely, and it grows inwardly as she salutes him, a single, deft motion, and he can’t help but to return it.

There’s a brief moment of comfortable silence, broken by one of the officers strolling onto the bridge, calling him in for a briefing. He looks at her expectantly, asks if she wants to come along, but she’s surprisingly optimistic, telling him that she’s “sure that it’s more good news.” His previous estimation was wrong, then.

Next thing he knows, he’s in the briefing room, staring at the holo of a decrepit human man in a cloak, with a throbbing headache and unfocused eyes. Despite being unable to see the man’s face, he _swears_ that he knows who he it is, a gnawing feeling in his gut that refused to settle, and then the man speaks— _“Execute Order 66”_ and his mind goes blank, all previous thoughts replaced with the monotonous drone of _good soldiers follow orders._

“Yes, Lord Sidious.” More thoughts squeeze their way into his mind, _it’s that damn biochip_ and _Fives was right_ and _who’s Lord Sidious_ , then the blast doors slide open and there’s Ahsoka, eyes wide and voice scared. Her mouth is moving but he can’t seem to register whatever she’s saying, because he’s shaking, struggling to hold on to his helmet,

and then he can’t anymore. His helmet falls to the ground, and the two clones behind her raise their blasters at her, and— “Rex?”

He’s trying his best to fight the chip, but he can’t help it when he turns, snarls out a “No. I’ll do it,” in a voice that doesn’t sound like his own, makes his throat hurt because it’s too rough, too coarse, too irritating.

He can barely hear the “Rex, what’s happening?” falling from Ahsoka’s lips, pulls out his deecees and yells at her to _stay back_ and _Force his head hurts_ and he’s still shaking and _he can’t stop,_ thoughts hurtling through his brain at a speed that was barely subluminal, like an Eta-2 Actis with Skywalker in the cockpit.

His eyes are watering and a stray tear manages to find its way out of his eye, and all he can say is “Find him. Find him. Fives. Find him,” because he can’t hold on, can’t fight the chip any longer, _good soldiers follow orders_ warring with _thisisntmeimsorryiloveyouimsorryiloveyouIMSORRY_ and he screams “FIVES”—

and he shoots.

Her sabers are out and she slams his head against the console, the blast doors closing, but he’s up in a mynock minute, doesn’t even hear when she says his name and then he’s firing at her again. He can’t stop, he’s become a passive observer in his own body, barely there and helpless.

He can’t hear the whirring of her lightsabers anymore, and he can’t see anything through the smoke and for a single, horrifying moment, he thinks she’s dead. All he can think is _ikilledher_ and _imsorry_ , but when the smoke clears, and she’s not there, leaving a hole in the ceiling instead, and he belatedly celebrates the fact that she’s alive, even though he still might have to kill her and he won’t be able to stop himself from doing so.

One of the boys in red, a Coruscant Guard tasked with guarding Maul asks if he’s alright, and that voice that _isn’t his_ replies, tells the trooper that he’s fine, he’s only tired, tells him to execute Maul and the other CG boys are on that trooper’s tail, running off to the detention level.

He braces his hands on the edge of the comms console, says “All right. We know Ahsoka Tano is on board. She’s been marked for termination by Order 66. Under this directive, any and all Jedi leadership must be executed for treason against the Republic,” and _what_ ? He _knows_ Jedi, he _knows her_ , he knows they’d never betray the Republic they loved so dearly and defending with their lives, and it gets worse as he continues, “Any soldier that does not comply with the order will also be executed for treason.” He’d _never_ order the death of a brother, never.

He’s had their blood on his hands before. Umbara. He promised himself that it’d never happen again, he’d never harm another brother, _where are these words coming from_?

At that point, he tunes himself out, can’t listen to the voice that isn’t his any longer.

* * *

Some time later, he almost trips over an R7 unit, the one Ahsoka used to fly with, its head-dome ramming into his codpiece, _ow ,_ but it gets worse with a stubby little C1 closes the blast doors around him, “ _Are you cross-wired?_ “

The droids scoot back, and the taller projects a recording of her, voice full of understanding and eyes shining with concern, but all he can really hear is _“it isn’t your fault”_ and _“I can help you”_ , but his body doesn’t comply with his desire to find her and hold her and tell her he’s sorry, instead pulling out one of his blasters, holding it to the droid, snarling out “Where is she?”

The droids don’t answer. She does.

“I’m right here.”

Then he’s spasming, groaning in pain as electricity courses through him because _that little fekker tased_ _him_ and all he can see is clear blue eyes contrasting with rusty orange skin before his vision goes dark.

* * *

He’s barely conscious, and lying on a cot in the med bay, when he feels her hands at his temples. He can’t open his eyes and his throat hurts, but he feels the odd sensation of… _calm_ rushing through him, and starts murmuring “ _I am one with the Force and the Force is with me_ ,” which is probably some weird Jedi platitude and he has no idea why he’s saying it, but he’s finally feeling like _himself_.

He’s out cold again, but it’s okay, because this time he knows that she’s safe, but it only takes a few seconds for him to come to, and she’s _not_ safe, a volley of blaster bolts rushing towards her while she’s pressed up against the diagnostics console.

This time, he's totally in control of himself when he reaches for his deecees, because he would do anything, _anything_ , to protect her, even if it meant hurting his brothers.

He doesn’t even think twice about shooting, but it still doesn’t make it hurt any less.

She turns to face him, shock written all over her face, asks him if he’s ok, and “Yeah. Yeah, ‘Soka, I’m okay,” and he throws his arms around her shoulders when she nears him, buries his face in the nook between her left lek and her neck, chokes out an “I’m sorry. I’m so, _so_ sorry. I would never try to kill you on my own, _I love you—_ “

“It’s okay, Rex. And I love you, too.” Her hand finds purchase at the back of his head, fingers threading through closely shorn hair, “How widespread is this?”

He’s grateful for their position, because he can’t look her in the eyes, “It’s all of us, ‘Soka. The entire Grand Army of the Republic has been ordered to hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights.”

She holds him in quiet understanding, and they both lean into the embrace for what is barely a second, because one the droids chirp and they have to break apart— the troopers on the other side of the door are almost through.

They’re out of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this miiiiiiiight become the first installment in a series
> 
> please leave feedback, it is much appreciated :^)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well as you now can see this is now the beginning of a series ;^)

  
  


_ Well, that’s not good.  _ “How are we gonna get out of here?”   
  
Ahsoka was tense, her stance suggesting that she was bracing for a struggle, “I have an idea.”   
  
His helmet obscured how his eyebrows flew up as he unholstered his deecees, “...Which is?”

“Just set those things to stun. We’re not trying to kill anyone.”   
  
He almost laughed, how poetic it was that they would not do harm to those that wanted them dead. “Yeah, well tell that to them,” the sound of pulsating electricity grew stronger, and he raised his blasters to the door, “They’re almost through.”

“Wait,” Ahsoka’s voice had a darker tone to it,  _ what was she planning  _ , “Wait.” She shifted, hands curling to fists at her side as the troopers on the other side of the door were almost through— “Now!” i Her fists uncurled as she flung her arms outward, palms outstretched as the door flew backwards, taking a few clones with it.    
  
The remaining three were quickly stunned, Rex ducking as more troopers came running down the hallway, a volley of blaster bolts flying toward him. Ahsoka quickly came to his aid, dodging and deflecting the bolts with her ‘sabers— “Arseven! Find us a path out of here.”   
  
The droid beeped in the affirmative, shutting one of the blast doors, leaving only two clones who were promptly dispatched.

After he caught his breath, “All right, now what?”

R7 beeped, Ahsoka translating for him, “The escape pods have been destroyed. Taking a shuttle is our best bet.” She started down the hall, the astromechs rolling in her trail, but Rex paused for a moment to gaze down at one of the troopers, wearing one of the helmets painted in Ahsoka’s honor, laying on the floor and groaning.  
  
It was piteous, distressing, _control chip or not, he’s my brother_ — “The boys are having a rough time of it. Did you hear Maul also escaped?”

She turns, “He didn’t escape, I let him out” and  _ oh what the hell we’re screwed _ — __

“What?” he was unable to keep the caustic edge out of his voice, “Why?”

"Diversion," she yelled as she reached the corner of the hallway and broke into a sprint, "Come on!”

He sighed, shook his head,  _ she’s a special brand of crazy  _ , “That’s one word for it,”  _ but maybe that’s the only reason why she chose me. _

As they ran through the hallway, the ship jolted and wires sparked, “Oh, I don’t like the sound of that.” They bursted into the hangar control room, stunning the officers within, and Rex looked at the controls,  _ oh, not good  _ , “Hangar bay doors are sealed, they’ve got everything locked down.” He hesitated for a second,  _ they did a damn good job at it  _ , “If they weren’t trying to kill us, I’d be proud.”

Ahsoka gave orders to the droids, as he stood by, until G-G gave out a series of distressed beeps and whistles, “What do you mean the hyperdrive is offline?” The droid beeped again, “Destroyed? It’s completely gone?” 

_ Shab, Maul must’ve gotten to it. _

One of the screens beeped, and he bent down to get a closer look at it, “We’re caught in that moon’s gravitational field.

Ahsoka did too, then stood straight, “Arseven, open the main hangar doors.”

It was beautiful, in a terrifying way. 

“We need to get out of here.”

He braced himself on the console with one hand, turning to the droids, “Any luck with those doors?” because  _ we’re screwed if they can’t do anything _ — __

“And the shuttle?”   
  
R7 chirped and got to work as the ship was being jostled and the claxons blared, blast doors opening to reveal a shuttle…

and what remained of the battalion.

_ Shit.  _ “They were waiting for us.”   
  
The clones formed up into perfect rows, Jesse walking out to stand at the front.

Rex’s heart clenched, because  _ oh no not Jesse  _ and  _ I should’ve told him about the chips this is my fault  _ , “So what do we do? Fight our way to the shuttle?” 

Ahsoka sighed, gaze downcast, “They’re too many. Besides, I don’t wanna hurt them.”

He swallowed, his voice surprisingly acrid as he spoke, “I hate to tell you this, but they  _ don’t care  _ .”  _ They’ve been reduced to being shells of their being, meat droids.  _ “This ship is going down, and those soldiers,  _ my brothers  _ ,” he couldn’t help how his voice rose in tandem with the pounding in his chest, “Are willing to  _ die  _ and take you and me along with them.”

His shoulders sagged and his head drooped, unbidden tears forming in his eyes. Ahsoka regarded him with sad eyes, stepping towards him— she _sees_ him, and he can’t help that tiny bit of warmth that seeps into his chest, _I love you so much_.

Her hands came to the bottom of his helmet, breaking the seal and lifting it as the first tear fell. 

He looked away,  _ I need to say strong I need to protect her IneedtoIhaveto _ — __

She pressed a palm onto his pauldron, You’re a good soldier, Rex, and so is everyone one of those men down there.” She leaned forward, feet rising just barely off the floor, pressing a feather-light kiss to his cheek before retreating backwards. He turned to face her as she continued, “They may be willing to die, but I am not going to be the one who is going to kill them.”

His eyes searched her for a few moments, before closing them mournfully,  _ so this is it, then. This is the end.  _ “So we’re just gonna surrender, admit defeat? Is that it?”   
  
“No.”   
  
He bowed his head, “Well I don’t see any other option.”   
  
His gaze rose to follow Ahsoka as she narrowed her eyes and walked towards the transparisteel window, “I have an idea.”

_It’s going to be something insane,_ he tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow, and Ahsoka sensed his concern— “Don’t worry. It’s a good one… I think.” _That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence._

She dropped to a crouch, regarded the droids, “Can I count on the three of you?” The droids chirped enthusiastically, CH-33P going as far as to offer a salute, and she darted off. He quickly followed.

They boarded a turbolift, and Ahsoka turned to him, “I’m going to be your prisoner.”   
  
“  _ What?  _ “ He gulped,  _ this is a terrible idea.  _

“Relax,” she said, sensing his trepidation, “Just follow my lead.” She pressed her forehead to the forehead of his helmet’s faceplate, and braced both of her hands behind her head, preparing for the lift doors to open. Surely enough, the doors slid open and Rex quickly took up his own position as they walked out to face the sea of troopers.

_ This isn’t going to end well.  _ “Hold your fire!” he jammed the muzzle of one of his blasters into her shoulder, offering a mental apology he hoped that she’d catch with her psychic abilities.

Jesse said something into his wristcomm, and the other clones tensed, raising their blasters. “I said hold your fire, Jesse. I have the situation under control.” 

“You have your order, sir. Now execute it or I will.”  _ This is going terribly. I hope you know what you’re doing, ‘Soka. _

They came two a halt a few meters from the battalion, “The order was to execute the Jedi for treason against the Republic. The problem is, Ahsoka Tano is no longer a Jedi. Hasn’t been for some time.” He was no force-sensitive, but he could practically  _ feel  _ Ahsoka’s mental eyeroll, being aware of the mediocrity of his own acting abilities.

Jesse relaxed by the slightest degree, “Sir, you said yourself we’re under special order from Darth Sidious to eliminate Ahsoka Tano and any other clone who disobeys Order Sixty-Six.”

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes slightly, whispering a “Just keep him talking a little bit longer.”   
  
He offered a ghost of a nod in return, before turning back to face his  _ vod’ika  _ , “Jesse. Jesse, listen to me. We’ve known each other a long time. If we don’t get this right,  _ we  _ will be the ones committing treason, not her.”

Jesse’s posture was askance, as he was taken aback for a moment, then raising his blasters, “Commander Rex, you’re in violation of Order Sixty-Six. I accuse you of treason against the Grand Army of the Republic!”  _ That enough for you, Ahsoka?  _ “You’ll be demoted in rank from commander and subject to execution along with the traitor Ahsoka Tano.”

Ahsoka’s eyes darted up, “Ready?”

_ As I’ll ever be.  _ He turned, shrugged, “Yeah, I didn’t much like being a commander anyway.”

Jesse spat out an order as his men tensed and got ready to attack— “ _Now!_ “

The floor panels dropped and they fell screaming. 

Jesse turned to shoot, knocked into the pit by a blast from Ahsoka, as Rex tossed both of her lightsabers to her and they sprang into action. 

Maul materialized in the hangar, sprinted towards the shuttle, “Rex, the ship!”

They started towards the shuttle, Rex having to stun a few of the boys on the way there, watching in horror as Maul flung Ahsoka back,  _ please be okay _ — __

G-G caught her, and the hangar bay erupted into chaos— Maul got to the shuttle and Jesse and his squad got up, started firing on her, a stray bolt catching her in the side.   
  
Ahsoka climbed up the tow cable, “The shuttle!”  
  
In an act of daring, or maybe stupid, she caught the shuttle with the Force, straining to hold it as the ion thrusters flared and and the tilting of the Venator started pulling her down, _not good, definitely not good._

Rex sprinted toward her, grabbed her hand.    
  
Their grip on each other broke, Rex rushing off to shield her from the incoming barrage of blaster bolts, a shot catching him in the shoulder. He yelled something at Ahsoka, not really remembering what because  _ ow  _ , and she let the shuttle go.

They were slowly being overwhelmed, their resolved weathered and their bodies battered, and then the rest of the battalion was back, Jesse at the head. Some of them flew up as the droids raised the panels, and they sprinted through the hangar, looking for a viable escape craft.

“Nothing,” he said between pants, “Nothing. Nothing!”  _ Not good. Definitely not good.  _ “Everything down here is under maintenance.”

Finally, Ahsoka spotted a Y-Wing, the brief moment of triumph cut short by incoming troopers firing upon them.

“Get me over there,” he said, bracing himself for what was to come, screaming as she tossed him towards the starfighter.  _ I hate it when she does that _ .

The ship tilted severely, the clones and Ahsoka sliding down the hangar floor.  _ Oh, no.  _ He tore off his helmet as she used her ‘sabers to dig into the floor, “Come on!”

She sprinted towards the ‘fighter,  _ she’s not gonna make it  _ , and spiraled into a freefall as she and the Y-Wing were torn out of the hangar by inertia. He tapped at the controls frantically, engaging the engines and he blasted his way towards the burning cruiser,  _ where was she? _

Eventually, he found her floating in midair, and he opened the gunner cockpit for her. She caught the lid,

and slipped away.

He found her running down the length of an engine, bringing the starfighter in starboard,  _ c’mon, ‘Soka  _ , as she lept and grabbed the edge of the opening, pulling herself in and closing the lid, letting out a sigh of relief, he brought the ‘fighter up and away.

* * *

Later, they scoured the halls of the cruiser for bodies, only one left to find. It was Ahsoka’s idea to give the boys proper burials, to honor them in a way they deserved.

It was a foreign concept to Rex— their bodies were always left on the battlefield to rot. It was a touching gesture. They made their way to the hangar, when he nearly tripped over a large durasteel rebar, meant to support the doonium hull, and gasped when he saw who was trapped underneath it.

It was Jesse. He bowed his head,  _ I’m so sorry  _ , “Ahsoka? Can I get some help over here?”   
  
She gasped when she reached him, placed a hand on his shoulder, “I’m so sorry, Rex.”    
  
He laughed bitterly, “Yeah. Me too.”   
  
Wordlessly, she raised the rebar off of him with the Force and the two picked up Jesse’s broken body, Ahsoka making sure to grab the roundel-stamped helmet.

* * *

They made their last trip in for supplies, him filling a pack full of it. She’d insisted on making a trip back to her quarters, for some reason, and he waited outside the door for her to emerge.

The door slid open, and she emerged, akul tooth headdress clutched tightly in her palm. 

His eyebrows raised in mild surprise, “You kept that?”   
  
She nodded, “Yeah. It means a lot to me. Here,” she said, placing it in his hand. He put it in the pack carefully.

“Ready?”

She nodded, taking his hand, “Ready.” 

They made their way out, her hand slipping out of his. “I want to pay my final respects.” He nodded, walking off and leaving her with her thoughts.

As he reached the Y-Wing, he turned to watch her, her back as turned to him as she faced the makeshift burial space they’d set up. He watched as she let her lightsaber fall from her palm, and to the ground. A simple gesture, but he knew how much it meant.

_ It represented the end of an era. _

She pivoted and trudged towards him, and he placed a hand on her cheek as she reached him. He grabbed his wrist, nuzzled his face into his palm.

“So where to?”   


She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, “After we find out what happened? Find a nice place in the Outer Rim, settle down, maybe even start a family, if that’s good with you?”   
  
He froze,  _ that does sound nice. _

“Rex? Are you okay?”   
  
He smiled, “Yeah. Yeah, that… sounds really nice.”

She grinned up at him, “Good,” she gestured towards the Y-Wing, “Now how about we start looking for a place to settle down?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i felt like this chapter kinda sucked but oh whale that's ok
> 
> might take a while for the next installment to be released rip
> 
> i'm still a hoe for feedback btw :^)


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